Bottle-closure.



PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907 P. w. E. CLAY. BOTTLE CLOSURE. APPLICATION FILEDJULY3,1908.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

No. 862,307. PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907.

F. W. H. CLAY.

BOTTLE CLOSURE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY3,1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FRANCIS W. H. CLAY, OF PlTTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOTTLE-CLOSURE.

Specification of Letters-Patent.

' PatentedAug, 6, 1907.

Application filed July 3,1906. Serial No. 324,652

To all whom' it may concern: I

- arches oi'me ial, and to give the cap such a form that said Be-itknown that I, FRANCIS w. n. CLAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburg, in the State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvementsin Bottle-Closures, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to closing devices for bottles,

jars, and the like, and particularly to metallic bottle caps.

The primary objects of the invention are, to provide for maintaining thepressure necessary to effect a seal by means of the i esiliency in themetal of the cap and to provide for a more secure holding of the cap andto render the putting on and removal of the same easy.

More specifically, oneobject of the invention is toprovide acap engagingthe bottle head by the edges of arches of metal may be used as levers toinduce-a pressure by clianging the angularity or convexity of the arch,and/to maintain resilient pressure bymea ns-oi such arclf tending toreturn to normal position under the stresses.

Another object is to design the cap in such form that the internalpressure on it will tightenits'grip upon th-e'bbttle head. 7

These objects, and other advantages which will hereinafter appear, areattained by means of the construction which is illustrated in theaccompanying draw-- ings. 1

Figure 1 is a side elevation-oi a bottle cap, and Fig. i

2 a convenient form of bottle head for use with the same. Fig. 3 is atop plan view of the cap in normal shape.

; Flg.=4 shows a section of the cap placed on the bottle ready foroperation of the tool, and Fig. 5 a section of the cap as fixed inplace, both sections being on-line (6) of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a sideelevation of the cap closed in place on the bottle head. Fig. 7 is anunder-side perspective' view' of the bottle cap, and an outline of theplacing tool shown therewith, illustrating the action in changing thebends of the arches of metal. Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively a top planand a side elevation of a modified form convenient for use on fruit jarsand to be operated by hand. Figs. 10 and 11 are central cross sections,respectively on the lines (12) and (13) of Fig. 8, showing the holdingring and cover in place on a jar. 'Fig. 12 is a fragmentary diagram ofthe hold- Ying arch, illustrating the effect on the arch of internalpressure in the jar or bottle. I

From'the drawings it will be-seen that, in the form of the inventionshown the bottle cap 15 comprises a cover which has'an attached skirt orflange which flange consists of a series of upward and outward bentarches 16, integral with the cover, and'alternating therewith thedownward and inward bent gripping arches 17, separated by slits 18 fromthe cover and adapted to engage under the rim or ledge 19 of the bottlehead.

From Figs. 4, 5, and-6 it will be seen that in normal position the capisplaced on the bottle head provided inside with a packing disk 20and'the bead 15 of the cap fits snugly over the top rim of the bottle; inthis condition the upper arches 16 stand out at a rather wide angle andare well rounded, and the downward arches 17 snap under the ledge 19of'tlie bottle. The cap is then pushed down to settle it neatly in placeon the packing 20 and at the same time or just afterward the arches 16are depressed, which will shove the gripping arches 17 under the ledge;the upward arches 16 may be then squeezed or'contracted into a smallerbend, (b

as shown in Fig. 6). The tool for accomplishing this may be of anysuitable form desired. 7

Referring to Fig. 7 it will be seen that changing the inclination of theapex of the arch 16 by means of any convenient tool such as indicated at21, in dotted lines will press the gripping arches 17 inward so thatthey take hold by their edges upon the ledge 19 of the bottle.

Thereupon the outward arches 16, being further engaged by the slots 27of the tool as shown in dotted lines,

will gradually pinch up the arches into sharper bends b as illustratedin dotted lines. The effect of this is to give an additional inwardthrust to the gripping arches 17, and when the tool is removed thenatural tendency of the resilient metal to open the bends b again hasthe effect of still further thrusting downward and inward the grippingarches 17. The arches 17, having been flattened by pressure on thebottle,-now tend to close again and thus tighten their grip. While thetendency of both arches is to return to the original shape, they operateto off-set each others movement to someextent, but both tend'to tightenthe grip. The arch which is compressed should always have a smaller bendthan the gripping arch.

It will be evident from this construction that the cover of the cap ispositively drawn down with a strong resilient pressure upon the packing20' by means of the lever action of the arches,17 ,lancl that thenatural resiliency of the metal will not only maintain this pressure butconstantly tend to increase it as the gripping arches 17 press inwardand upward. The internal pressure on the cap taking effect through rigidanclies 16 tending to lift them, will act on the outer sides oi arches'17 and tend to revolve them inwardly, thereby tightening the hold onthe bottle and rendering it impossible to slip or give way withoutrupture of the metal. On the other hand by engaging any tool, such as aknife, or key, or screwdriver, under the outwardly flared skirt of thearches 17, the cap may be easily loosened and removed. Where there isnot great internal pres- 'tiQ lfm use on fruit and pickle jars, to beopera'fi' by hand. An open rihg 28, made resilient against buc- 1 ing;consists of a holding portion 29 to engage the glass of a fruit jar 31,and outside this is.a skirt consisting of upward .bent integral arches32 and down-- ward bent severed arches 33, which latter are pushedlnward to make the distance between them smaller.

than the diameter of the ledge 34 of the jar. As shown by dotted linesin Figs; 10 and 11 the ring is pushed down over the sloping ledge 34 andthe conical ring is thus opened or spread so as to snap the arches 33under the lid. The tendency of the metal ring'to regain its normal.position, as indicated by the dotted lines below, will cause thegripping arches 33 to push upward on the ledge and draw down the cover30 by means of the rim' 29. I

In Fig. 12 I have illustrated the action of the upward pressure on thecover, showing how it tends to cause the gripping arch 33 to turninwardly at f by reason of the action of forces f f f caused by theupward pull on the rigid arch 32. Thus while thering may be easily puton by hand it produces its own constantly exerted and resilient pressureupon the mouth of the jar and this pressure is augmented by theaetionof' the internal pressure lifting on the rim. i g In many forms ofthe device, for convenience a skilled mechanic can make provisions fortaking up the surplus metal on the outward bent portion 16, butusuallythe pressure of any circuinferentii il tool will effect a pinching up ofthe arch'btas shown in Fig. (i, and the metal is'thus takenup, lWhen tlearch b is pinched by-a slotted tool, the effect is mucl betterand theupward bend being thus small and forming a stiff ridge in the flange,the cap is more securely held in its proper condition after putting iton the bottle. It will be understood that the forms of the inventionshown are merely for illustration and the skilled me chanic will readilydevelop other forms and uses of it.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pa txzzt, is thefollowing: I Y

1'. The combination with bottle having an external ledge on the head, ofa closing cap provided with downwardly inclined arches or bends adaptedto engage said ledge by their edges, and also means'on the cap forthrusting downwardly and inwardly said engaging arches.

2. The combinationwith a bottle head, of; a closing cap comprising acover, a series of inclined arches integral therewith and a series ofintervening inclined archesse'i; cred therefrom, said arches beingdepressed and engaging the bottle head, substantially as set forth.

fh'lhe combination with a bottle head having .an e.\

ternal annular ledge, of a stopper cap comprising a cover 5 and aninclined skirt or flange, parts ofwhich flange are severed from thecover and depressed into locking engage: ment with said shoulder. I

4. The combination with a bottle head, of a closing cap comprising aCOVGI' portion having attached thereto downwardly and inwardly bentarches of metal and intervening upwardly and outwardly bent arches, thedownward bend engag'ing'the bottle head by the edge of the metal andboth arches standing at an, acute angle with the plane of the cap.

A bottle closing cap llraving a flange with severed portions bent'int'odownward arches gripping the bottle by their edges, said arches sthndingat an acuteang-le with the vertical when in place n the bottle. i k

6.. A bottle closing cap comprising a cover having a radially Ilutedflange, the downward bends of said flange being severed from the coverand standing at an acute angle with the cover, and the upwardbends-being compressed to hold inward the downward arches to engage thebottle head on the edge of the metal, substantially as described.

7. In a bottle closing device, the combination with the .h ottle head,of a metallic cap having a continuous rim .with portions severed anddepressed into position to engage the bottle head by the edges of themetal of such depressed portions, the rim being inclined to thevertical.

In testimony whereof-I have hereunto signed my name' in presence of twowitnesses. v

' FRANCIS win. CLAY.

In presence of- E. ll. Itonn,

CHAS. S. Lm'mfn'.

